Real-life stories of teens hit home

Dozens of teens who packed into Skou Hall at Ohio State University's Agricultural Technical Institute campus Friday evening learned that the important life stories being written are their own.

Planned Parenthood of North Central Ohio and almost a dozen other area agencies, all part of the Wayne County Teen Pregnancy Collaborative, gave teens and their parents an evening of interactive workshops, humor and teen talk, skits, concerned adults to talk to, and even pizza and a dance during an event called "A Real Life Discovery."

Community Action Wayne/Medina presented a play with young people sharing their own "Real Life Stories," along with serious real-life consequences they faced in an effort to help participating teens "discover" vital messages.

Paula Hartman, a medical technician at the University of Akron, wrote the play that engaged the teen audience with funny lines and skits, while incorporating the true stories of teenagers and young adults who made costly mistakes and were willing to stand up in front of a crowd and share them.

As their stories of unwed pregnancy, abusive relationships, loss of friends, shattering of dreams, and even sexually transmitted disease wove throughout the play, strategically placed advice effectively was handed out.

"I got pregnant in the sixth grade. I didn't really know anything (about sex). I just did it. Kids were still whispering about me in the seventh grade. I was taking care of a baby, not baby-sitting."

"My first time (of sexual intercourse) was painful. It was the worst time of my life."

"There is no cure for herpes."

"A single act of intercourse can change your life forever."

"None of my friends were sexually active, and I felt spoiled and dirty."

"If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't do it."

"Our bills (with young children and no skilled jobs) are killing us, and there doesn't seem to be any end in sight."

"They have grown from their experiences," the play's narrator said, "and their advice is worth listening to."

Hartman said the young women who told their stories of teenage motherhood and other hard times in their lives are individuals with whom Barb Meador, the family wellness coordinator with Community Action, has worked.

"It takes a lot of courage to come up and tell their stories," Meador told the teens in the audience.

Teens from area high schools, and younger students as well, played the drama roles in the script that included a take-off of the popular millionaire show they called "So You Want A Great Future."

After the laughs were enjoyed, the actors -- both boys and girls -- shared their commitment to abstinence.

"It's the only method of birth control that is 100 percent reliable."

"Save (sex) for someone you'll be with the rest of your life."

They also encouraged kids who have been raped, hurt or abused to "tell someone who can help."

The follow-up -- five workshops -- gave the teens tips on saying no, pursuing healthy relationships, staying away from alcohol and even talking to parents without screaming.

Parents had a workshop of their own titled "What Kids Need to Succeed."

"We wanted to provide a forum for parents as well as teens to get issues on the table," Cindy Biggs, Planned Parenthood's executive director, said, noting along with teenage pregnancy, other "at-risk behaviors" -- drug and alcohol abuse, violence and date rape -- warrant discussion.

Biggs encouraged parents to share "their own values and beliefs."

Parents and teens need to discuss problems together, she said.

"Life gets very, very confusing for us all."

Jaimie Masternak of STEPS tested teens' alcohol IQ, the Counseling Center's Donita Main told them to watch tone of voice and body language when trying to get their parents to listen and Tanya Troyer, the community network coordinator for Orrville City Schools, utilized small group activities to demonstrate looking for early signs of abusive behavior in a relationship.

David Greer, the executive director of the Wooster Community Youth Center, talked about how he left behind a life of alcohol, drugs and crime by pursuing a life of faith in Jesus Christ.

"Everything I do today has to do with encouraging young kids," Greer said.

Eighth-graders Riyeasa Pickett and Gayleen Tarpley from Edgewood Middle School attended the evening event, as did Samantha Caswell, an eighth-grade student from the Opportunity School. Felisha Watts, a freshman at Waynedale High School, brought her brother, Steve, a sixth-grader at Apple Creek Elementary.

Steve wanted to attend the "Wicked Genie in a Bottle" workshop because he said, "there is a lot of that going around." Felisha thought she would check out the healthy relationships talk "since I am at the age of dating."

Samantha said this was the one time her parents allowed her to break curfew.